Ireland's 4x400m relay team of Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley have secured a silver medal at the European Championships in Rome with a new national record time of 3:22.71NR.
The performance sealed a historic championships for the Irish, marking the best ever medal haul (4) from an Irish team at a Europeans. Tonight’s silver added to the gold medals of Ciara Mageaan (1500m) and the mixed relay team (4x400m), alongside Rhadisat Adeleke’s silver in the 400m.
With the pressure of a country watching in exception, the women’s relay team ran a superb race to claim the silver, smashing the old 4x400m record by a staggering 1.7 seconds.
Becker was fast out of the blocks and recorded a spit of 52.00, with Lieke Klaver (NED) ensuring the Netherlands led at the first changeover.
Adeleke (49.36) received the baton for Ireland's second leg and ran a storming 400 before handing over to Healy (51.51) with a slender lead for the penultimate leg.
A smooth changeover from Healy to Mawdsley (49.84) saw Ireland chasing down the Netherlands who were anchored by world indoor 400m record holder Femke Bol.
Mawdsley ran yet another superb final leg, briefly looking as though she may challenge for gold coming into the final 50 meters, ultimately settling for a superb silver medal for the Irish.
Ireland also had five athletes take to the men’s 10,000m with Efrem Gidey leading the way for the Irish. The Clonliffe athlete went with the leading pack until 8000m before an injection of pace saw Gidey slip back through the field.
Gidey would stick to his task bravely to cross the line in 12th in 28:16.94. Brian Fay was 20th, Barry Keane finished 21st, Peter Lynch was 22nd and Cormac Dalton recorded a 24th-place finish.
Reigning Olympic and European champion Jakob Ingebrigsten dictated the men’s 1500m, winning in a championship record of 3:31.95 with Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran crossing in 13th in 3:34.76.
Results Summary:
· Women’s 4x400m Relay – Final – 2nd in 3:22.71 NR
· Efrem Gidey – Men’s 10,000m – Final – 12th in 28:16.94 (A Race)
· Brian Fay – Men’s 10,000m – Final – 20th in 28:40.53 (A Race)
· Barry Keane – Men’s 10,000m – Final – 21st in 28:53.34 (A Race)
· Peter Lynch – Men’s 10,000m – Final – 22nd in 29:02.00 (A Race)
· Cormac Dalton – Men’s 10,000m – Final – 24th in 29:15.30 SB (A Race)
· Andrew Coscoran – Men’s 1500m – Final – 13th in 3:34.76
· Full results list: HERE
FULL TEAM IRELAND WRAP RELEASE WILL BE ISSUED TOMORROW (JUNE 13TH)
Ireland claimed medals at 12 of the 25 previous editions of the European Championships and before this week in Rome, only one athlete had ever won gold in the event’s 90-year history – Sonia O’Sullivan.
2024 Gold - Mixed 4x400 (Christopher O'Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, Sharlene Mawdsley)
2024 Gold - 1500m Ciara Mageean
2024 Silver - 400m Rhasidat Adeleke
2024 Silver - Women's 4x400 (Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy, Sharlene Mawdsley)
National Records x 3 (Mixed Relay, Women’s Relay, Rhasidat Adeleke)
12 Season’s Bests + 3 Personal Best’s
Summary
| Athlete | Event(s) | Overall Placing | Result (in final appearance) | Note |
| Ciara Mageean | 1500m | 1 | 4:04.66 | Gold |
| Mixed 4x400m | Relay | 1 | 3:09.92 | Gold + NR / CR |
| Rhasidat Adeleke | 400m | 2 | 49.07 | Silver + NR |
| Women 4x400m | Relay | 2 | 3:22.71 | Silver + NR |
| Sarah Lavin | 100mH | 7 | 12.94 | 12.73 = SB in SF |
| Sarah Healy | 1500m | 7 | 4:06.77 | |
| Sharlene Mawdsley | 400m | 8 | 51.59 | |
| Nicola Tuthill | Hammer Throw | 9 | 69.09m | |
| Sophie Becker | 400m | 10 | 51.54 | |
| Men 4x400m | Relay | 10 | 3:04.41 | SB |
| Efrem Gidey | 10,000m | 12 | 28:16.94 | |
| Andrew Coscoran | 1500m | 13 | 3:34.76 | |
| Men 4x100m | Relay | 13 | 39.34 | SB |
| Brian Fay | 5000m | 14 | 13:29.48 | |
| Eric Favors | Shot Put | 14 | 19.60m | |
| Mark Smyth | 200m | 16 | 20.86 | SB X 2 |
| Thomas Barr | 400mH | 16 | 49.61 | 49.31SB in Heats |
| Jodie McCann | 5000m | 17 | 15:29.25 | PB |
| Israel Olatunde | 100m | 19 | 10.40 | 10.31 SB in Heat |
| Anika Thompson | 10,000m | 20 | 33:19.42 | |
| Oisin Lane | 20km Walk | 23 | 1:25:02 | |
| Michelle Finn | 3000mSC | 24 | 9:46.93 | SB |
| Chris O'Donnell | 400m | 24* | *Semi-final DQ | 45.69SB in Heats |
| Mark English | 800m | 25 | 1:46.73 | |
| Laura Mooney | 10,000m | 26 | 34:13.15 | |
| Phil Healy | 200m | 27 | 23.51 | |
| Brian Fay | 10,000m | 27 | 28:40.53 | |
| Nick Griggs | 1500m | 28 | 3:46.66 | |
| Louise Shanahan | 800m | 28 | 2:04.81 | |
| Kelly McGrory | 400mH | 31 | 57.10 | PB |
| Barry Keane | 10,000m | 31 | 28:53.34 | |
| Peter Lynch | 10,000m | 32 | 29:02.00 | |
| Shona Heaslip | Half Marathon | 34 | 1:12:19 | SB |
| Cormac Dalton | 10,000m | 35 | 29:15.30 | SB |
| Hiko Tonosa | Half Marathon | 43 | 1:05:42 | |
| Emily Haggard Kearney | Half Marathon | 64 | 1:17:04 | SB |
Homecoming – Thursday June 13th
The Irish team is arriving back in Dublin on several flights over the next 24 hours. The first of those flights in due in Dublin Airport at 9.45am tomorrow morning (Sharlene Mawdsley).
A second flight is due in at 5.40pm which includes Sophie Becker.
Phil Healy will be returning on the late flight, due in Dublin airport in the early hours of Friday morning.
Ciara Mageean, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, and Chris O’Donnell have/are all flying on to destinations outside of Ireland and will not be returning to Dublin Airport.
